Reader Letters | Joe Biden, schoolyard bully

What a difference a week makes. The vice presidential debate looked like a schoolyard where the teacher is trying to make the boys play fair. However, the older boy seemed to be more intent on bullying the younger boy and the teacher with finger-pointing, rude interruptions and incessant, contrived, condescending sneering. The control of the debate seemed to overwhelm any substance in the debate.

MIKE KLEIER

Louisville 40245

'Disgusting' rudeness

Watching the debate Thursday night I was appalled at the lack of manners by our vice president. Joe Biden interrupted Paul Ryan repeatedly and grinned and laughed during the time Mr. Ryan was trying to make his comments. His attitude while speaking took away from anything he was trying to get across to the listeners. Mr. Biden's attitude and antics during the debate were appalling. I am completely turned off by his behavior. His rudeness is disgusting.

The moderator seemed to be biased against Mr. Ryan. She did not control the debate. Shame on her.

THOMAS E. GROVES

Louisville 40291

Ryan's 'lies'

I watched the vice presidential debate on Thursday night and once again was flabbergasted by the lies and half-truths espoused by vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan. In particular, if you believe for one moment that closing tax loopholes for the rich as proposed by Mr. Ryan will significantly reduce our country's deficit, then I have a several-year-old amusement park in Louisville that I can give you a heckuva deal on!

CHUCK SCHOENE

Louisville 40220

Spina Bifida Awareness Month

Spina bifida is the most common permanently disabling birth defect, affecting about one out of every 1,000 newborns in the United States. Kentucky has one of the highest rates of spina bifida in the country.

What is spina bifida? It's a birth defect that results in the spinal cord protruding from a baby's back. The back can be surgically closed before or after birth, but damage to the spinal cord can cause paralysis, hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain), bowel and bladder issues, and other challenges.

What causes it, and how can it be prevented? No one knows what causes spina bifida, but women can reduce their risk by up to 70 percent by taking 400 mcg of folic acid daily for three months prior to conception. Every woman of childbearing age should take a daily multivitamin.

What are people with spina bifida like? There is a wide range of outcomes. Some are barely affected, some are severely disabled, and most fall somewhere in between. Some use wheelchairs; others use braces, crutches or walkers; and some walk independently. Most have normal intelligence. Spina bifida is only one part of them and does not define them. They can become teachers, doctors, musicians, athletes or anything they want to be.

What do you do when you see someone with a disability? Instead of looking away, make eye contact and smile. Instead of shushing children who ask questions about a wheelchair or other differences, encourage children to ask the person about it, or answer with "some people's legs don't work the same as yours, so they need help to get around." Emphasize people with disabilities are more like everyone else than they are different.

If you would like to learn more about spina bifida, visit www.sbak.org.

ANNA TUCKER

Louisville 40272

Louisville, Kentucky • Southern Indiana

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Reader Letters | Joe Biden, schoolyard bully

What a difference a week makes. The vice presidential debate looked like a schoolyard where the teacher is trying to make the boys play fair.